A crowd of onlookers gawked from the sidewalk as four young black men
dressed in black leather jackets and berets leaped from a Volkswagen,
each of them wielding shotguns with bandoliers strapped across their
bodies. The young men surrounded two white police officers who had
accosted a black man and had him spread-eagled against a building.
The young men did not say a word as the police officers watched them
nervously, their eyes fixed on the shotguns. One of the young men held a
large law book in his hand...This was the Black Panther Party in ideal
action. The real story--the whole story--was both more and less heroic.
So begins Black Panthers For Beginners. The late 1960s, when the
Panthers captured the imagination of the nation's youth, was a time of
regulation. While their furious passage was marked by death, destruction
and government sabotage, the Panthers left an instructive legacy for
anyone who dares to challenge the system.
Herb Boyd has done exhaustive research, examined the claims of all
parties involved, and boiled the story down to the truth. We believe
this is the most truthful book on the market, but each Panther has his
or her own story to tell. We suggest that you check out the stories of
all the Black Panthers.